EJ Groessl et al. Development of the Hepatitis C Self-Management Program. Patient Education & Counseling, July 15, 2010.

Chronic hepatitis C infection (HCV) is a major health problem that disproportionately affects people with limited resources. Many people with HCV are ineligible or refuse antiviral treatment, but less curative treatment options exist. These options include adhering to follow-up health visits, lifestyle changes, and avoiding hepatotoxins like alcohol. Groessl and colleagues described a recently developed self-management program designed to assist HCV-infected patients with adherence and to improve their health-related quality of life (HRQOL). The development of the Hepatitis C Self-Management Program (HCV-SMP) was informed by scientific literature, qualitative interviews with HCV-infected patients, self-management training, and feedback from HCV clinical experts. The Hepatitis C Self-Management Program (HCV-SMP) is a multi-faceted program that employs cognitive-behavioral principles and is designed to provide HCV-infected people with knowledge and skills for improving their HRQOL. The program consists of six 2-hour workshop sessions which were held weekly. The sessions consist of a variety of group activities, including disease-specific information dissemination, action planning, and problem-solving.

WHAT THE STUDY MAY MEAN TO YOU AS A HEALTH CARE PROVIDER: The intervention by Groessl and associates taught skills for adhering to challenging treatment recommendations using a validated theoretical model. A randomized trial planned by the investigators will test the efficacy of this novel HCV self-management program for improving HRQOL in a difficult to reach population.

WHAT THE STUDY MAY MEAN TO YOU AS A HEALTH CARE CONSUMER:
The study sounds like a break through approach to assisting people with hepatitis C halp control their condition. We wish the authors the best of success in conducting a randomized trial of their self-management model.